1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to a novel means for maintaining the airway tubes or passageways in an intranasal splint free from clogging or blockage.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to employ a preformed intranasal splint with airway tubes or passageways formed therein that can be used by patients who have undergone surgery upon their nasal septum. The nasal septum is the partition between the left and rights sides of the nose. Particularly after an operation, the airways or passageways in the splint become clogged or form blockages due to mucous, blood or the like, and therefore, the patient is essentially miserable because of the experience of having to breathe through his mouth for a considerable period of time. The primary purpose of the airways or passageways is to permit breathing subsequent to a nasal operation in a normal manner through the nasal passageways. Therefore, unless the passageways are maintained open, the essential provision of nasal breathing is defeated.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a device and means for maintaining the airways or passageways in a nasal splint open so as to permit the patient to breathe normally through the nose. Such a device must be simple and must be able to be insertably received within the splint airways and which will further permit use of a suction tube regardless of suction device shape or size.